Ghost Horizon – The Erotics of Disgust (Review)

Ghost Horizon is a US one-man black metal project and this is his second EP.

This is black metal that’s both atmospheric and melodic. This is highly emotive music that clearly has meaning and depth within its blackened atmospheric assault.

On one hand the music is raw and harsh, but on the other it’s also full of beauty and resplendence. Mournful melodies that are full of sorrow and deep emotions are with you almost every step of the way, and the relatively short song lengths, (for this kind of thing at least), belie the huge amount of emotive and atmospheric content that they contain.

Elements of shoegaze, depressive and post-black metal are incorporated into the music, with the man behind the band taking what he needs from the various sub-genres to optimise the emotional impact of the music.

Aggression does exist on this EP – it is black metal after all – but it’s aggression tinged with melancholy and sadness, along with a myriad of other negative emotions.

Grim screams are performed in a manner that is equally as emotive as the music, although in all honesty the guitars and what they evoke with their rich melodies are probably the real stars of the show here. Having said that, of course, it should be obvious that everything here works together as a holistic package, with everything having its place and fulfilling its role well. Without all of the other aspects of the music, the plaintive melodies would just be lost in the aether.

Clean vocals also make an appearance, and although these work perfectly well, I much prefer the high-pitched screams most of the time. A guest vocalist appears on the last song too, adding darker, heavier vocals that work well against the intensity of the music.

You may have noticed that I’ve used the word emotion or emotive several times in this review – this really does sum up this music. The Erotics of Disgust is absolutely dripping with emotion, to the point where you feel utterly saturated by them at the end of it. You really get the impression that the band’s creative force has poured his heart and soul into this, leaving him drained and empty, but probably better off for it.

Raw and open like a fresh bleeding wound, The Erotics of Disgust is an EP that’s filled with feeling and atmosphere. One can only wonder what Ghost Horizon will do with a full length.